


Sleep

by Nightscrawl



Series: The Meaning of More [7]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: M/M, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 00:30:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14884169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightscrawl/pseuds/Nightscrawl
Summary: For Judah, one final, personal barrier remains in his relationship with Dorian.





	Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to [Schattenriss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schattenriss/pseuds/Schattenriss) for doing the beta.

The Exalted Plains, _Dirthavaren_ , were neither exalted, nor plains. Jutting spires of rock made passage difficult, even on the roads that had to wind around them, more so in the western portion of the area that roads did not reach. They were not a “promised” land. They were exhausting.

At this moment, Dorian wanted nothing more than to pass out on his bed, any bed, or just any soft surface that was not in a tent on the cold, hard ground. The prospect of trudging up the stairs to it was loathsome. Perhaps he would rest in his library chair before moving onto the bed.

On entering the main part of the keep, Dorian turned to the tower and was momentarily thrown off balance when Judah grabbed his hand and began to pull him along to his own quarters. It was unexpected, but he was not surprised; he was too tired to feel much of anything.

Once inside and up the final flight of stairs they each began tearing at their armor. Pieces were strewn about as they walked toward the bed, and at last, they managed to get down to their underthings.

Dorian crawled onto the bed and lay on his back, unmoving. Judah flopped down beside him onto his front. After a few seconds of being settled, Judah scooted forward and snuggled into him, draped an arm over his chest, curled a leg around one of his, put his face against Dorian’s neck, and was still. Pleasant pressure against his side, the weight of Judah’s limbs across his body, his rhythmic breathing; it was like a warm, living blanket. It was…

* * * * *

Later, Dorian woke and was uncomfortable. Lying on his back, the weight of Judah’s limbs was a bit too much; the arm that he lay against was alive with pin and needle pricks; the collar of his shirt brushed against his face, which he found annoying and wanted gone. He attempted to extricate himself from Judah and sit up, but a pressure held him down.

“Stay,” Judah said, his voice far away, barely awake. Somehow, Dorian’s minor movements had brought him into consciousness.

“I’m not leaving, just moving.”

“Okay…”

At this, Dorian made another attempt and was successful. He pulled his shirt over his head and let it slide to the floor, then shook out his still-sleeping arm. Once feeling returned, he lay back down and shut his eyes.

The fire that normally filled the room with warmth and glowing welcome—maintained even in the Inquisitor’s absence—had been fading due to the lateness of the hour when they stumbled into the room and onto the bed. Now the firebox was cold and dark, a lifeless void amidst the surrounding stonework. As tired and unthinking as they were, they never bothered to pull back the covers.

While lying still and shirtless, Dorian began to feel a chill. He sighed in exasperation and rose fully from the bed, moving toward the fireplace to bring it to life again. With effortless, nearly mindless ease, he willed flame to coalesce in his hand and lit the embers anew. Fresh fuel was next, then a few pokes, and the fire was blazing. He remained near its warmth for several seconds before returning to the bed and the sleeping man that awaited him there.

Settling down once more, he turned toward Judah. Though the light was low, he was able to see his face. The cares of the Inquisitor had melted away, leaving only Judah beside him, relaxed and peaceful as his mind journeyed the strange pathways of the Fade. If he had the abilities of Solas, or of his own Dreamer ancestors, Dorian mused, he could join him on those journeys.

Dorian laid a soft, cautious hand against Judah’s shoulder, moved slowly down his side, then around to the back. He fiddled with the folds of his shirt, stroked his thumb across his spine, closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.

A corner of Judah’s mind, that part of the animal brain that was always aware and alert to outside stimuli, felt the caress and brought him further into awareness. He opened his eyes to see Dorian’s face just inches from his own, eyes closed but not yet asleep. As he studied his friend’s features, he noted that the oft-worn kohl was slightly smudged from travel and sleep, giving him a smokier eye than he normally had; it was a mysterious, alluring look. The curl of the man’s mustache seemed to remain perfect, regardless of the circumstances.

While he could choose to enjoy the moment, knowing they would both be asleep again in short order, an impulse had Judah raise his own arm to Dorian’s waist, pulling them closer together.

Dorian opened his eyes to find Judah awake. “I woke you. I’m sorry.”

Judah had no response as he continued to look at the man before him. He loved Dorian’s hair; it was black and shiny and soft, and he liked to run his fingers through it while they kissed. Styled with meticulous care, wisps of it brushed forward from his temple toward his forehead, drawing attention to his sharp, grey eyes. He brought a hand up to trace the line of his trimmed hair.

Soft, sensuous fingers sifted through Dorian’s hair, caressed the skin at the temple, traveled behind his ear and down to his neck. It was at once relaxing, yet also enticing in its intimacy. Where would Judah’s exploration take him next?

Continuing with the motion, Judah ran the hand up his neck, curling fingers in his hair, and then edged closer. Dorian met him halfway, and they began a gentle kiss. Lips slowly parted, tongues touched and slid together, they breathed through the nose as the time drew out.

Judah began to want more, so he eased Dorian onto his back and settled over him. The kiss became more eager, edging toward aggressive. He slid one hand between Dorian and the bed, between his shoulder blades, holding him close. The other he began to rub up and down his chest, earning soft pleased sounds every time he brushed past the nipple. The strokes were firm, but deliberate, desirous of giving as much pleasure as he was taking.

Every downward stroke caused the heel of his hand to brush against the rim of Dorian’s smallclothes, the subtle reminder of their presence becoming an annoyance. He wanted still more, wanted to see and touch and taste what they were obscuring. In a final downward motion, he shifted his hand between them and pulled at the laces as the kiss continued unabated.

Liking the aggression, Dorian wondered if Judah was finally going to take, and give, what they had both been wanting.

Once they were loosened, Judah slipped inside and behind. The whole hand caressed a single cheek as a finger slid between. There was a brief pause before he went on, brushing past the opening as he moved to Dorian’s thigh and raised the leg to rest against his own side.

Dorian made a small whine of frustration into Judah’s mouth when the hand did not linger. It was not a tease; there had been a hesitation. Judah seemed unsure and he didn’t understand why. From various things said, he knew this was not something new for him.

Sometime previous, one of their midday trysts had gone too far. The kissing and caressing had moved from slow and sensuous to aggressive and firm. They were so hard from the intensity that they each ached for release. When Judah began to rock against him, Dorian knew what the other man wanted. He wanted it as well, and thought that every sign he had given—the sounds he made and the responses he gave—proclaimed it. But Judah changed course and they gained their pleasure another way, and Dorian was somewhat disappointed, even as he left the encounter feeling physically satisfied.

That had been in the middle of the day. There were reports for the Inquisitor to read, responses for him to write, people for him to meet, operations to consider. The time spent together had been pleasant, and it wasn’t the right moment to inquire about Judah’s possible sexual hang-ups. Dorian felt no such qualms now, in the middle of the night, when they were free to do as they wished without interruption.

For now, he was content to wait and see what would happen. Wanting the touch of skin, he ran his hands up the back of Judah’s shirt. His fingers traced the indentation of spine, felt the curve of muscle, and cupped the ridge of shoulder blade as the kiss went on. The shirt soon felt confining, so he attempted to raise it up Judah’s back in suggestion.

Seeing what Dorian wanted, Judah separated slightly to aid in the shirt’s removal. He threw it to the floor where it joined the other then returned to his original position.

Dorian wrapped his legs around Judah in a signal unmistakable. He crossed his arms behind his back and simply held him, not bothering with further exploration.

Spurred on by the pressure of Dorian’s legs, Judah began to rock against him. It was a slow sway of hips and he lowered the intensity of the kiss to match. His entire world seemed to be consumed by the man beneath him, the feel of his skin and its warmth, the taste and textures of his mouth, the softness of his hair, the hardness against his groin that was equal to his own.

This was nice, but only seemed to make Dorian want more. To that end, he sought to divest the other man of his smallclothes, but his full weight was against him, making the laces inaccessible. Moving his hands to Judah’s hips, he hooked his thumbs into the rim of the garment and strove to push it down.

In a sudden movement, Judah snatched one of the hands away, gripping Dorian’s wrist as he pinned it to the bed. He propped himself up and hovered over him, staring into his face. What now? He wanted him _so much_ he could barely think of anything else. But it wasn’t _just_ sexual, was it? It didn’t feel so. Dorian seemed to want him to continue, but what if… Several “what ifs” ran through his mind, but he had no answer for any of them.

Dorian looked at the ceiling a moment in frustration. He turned his gaze back to Judah and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“I’m afraid that—” Judah started, but then snapped his mouth shut. He looked to the side, away from Dorian, and seemed reluctant to continue.

Distant memories of another rose in Judah’s mind. What he’d thought were sounds of pleasure he learned to be those of pain, discovered that it was acquiescence rather than acceptance, understood afterward that the fellow youth beneath him just wanted it to be over so they could return to the fun, mutually gratifying activities they usually engaged in. As much as he wanted him, Judah knew he would be unable to bear such with Dorian. For he was more than a friend, and more than a lover, and he cared about him too much.

Unable to tell whether Judah’s response was due to embarrassment, lack of experience, both of those, or something else altogether, Dorian sought to assuage his anxiety. With his opposite hand—the one Judah had not pinned against the bed—he moved between them to pull at the now-accessible laces. He slipped his hand inside and wrapped his fingers around Judah’s erection. Pleased to discover that the other man was _very_ hard, and warm, his own arousal increased considerably.

“You don’t seem scared to me,” Dorian said, voice sultry as he began to stroke.

On feeling the hand, Judah gasped and released a strained whine. It was so simple, yet felt _so good_. He tightened his grip around Dorian’s wrist, hard enough to bruise, the unfailing clutch of one used to holding a sword. “Are… you sure?” he breathed out.

“Do I seem _un_ sure?”

Judah shook his head.

“Do you know what you want to do?”

Judah could only nod in response. When Dorian removed his hand, he relaxed physically and mentally as thoughts of everything _except_ Dorian fled his mind. Releasing his grip, he lowered himself once more. He spared a moment to smile as he fingered a few wisps of his hair, and then closed the space between them.

From wherever it had gone, for whatever reason it had left, Dorian saw Judah’s confidence return and he smiled into the kiss as it began again. He wrapped one arm around his neck, the other about his shoulders, and was content to enjoy the experience.

This renewed kiss was not lustful and aggressive, as the one previous. Rather it was passionate, but deliberate, the slow build of intensity that was Judah’s usual type. He knew exactly what he wanted, and what he wanted to do.

Judah allowed one hand to remain in Dorian’s hair, while the other ran up his side as before, only now he continued on to his shoulder and further along the arm to gently remove it from around himself. He caressed its full length to the palm, and finally stopped after lacing their fingers together.

Even as aroused as he was, Dorian found himself relaxing into the kiss. The soft, steady rhythm of Judah’s mouth and his own, the warmth and weight of his body; it was pleasant and reminded him of their midday trysts when they only wanted to be lost in each other’s presence, and there was no expectation of anything more. Only this time, there was. Judah rocked their hips together, a single sway of intention, and Dorian broke the kiss with a moan on feeling the heat pulse in his groin.

Taking advantage of this, Judah gave a parting kiss before moving down. He kissed the patch of hair below Dorian’s lip, then his chin, and went lower on the neck until he reached the depression of the throat, gave a slow lick, and then a kiss, before continuing. After kissing his way to the center of Dorian’s chest, he paused with his lips against the skin. “I’ve never met anyone that filled me with such… wanting,” he said. “I want to feel your hair,” added emphasis with a kiss, “your skin,” another, “taste your mouth,” and another, “feel your hands on me,” and then concluded, “I want everything.”

As he enjoyed the feeling of Judah’s mouth playing over his skin, warm breath stirring his chest hair, Dorian’s mind had begun to drift away. The words were unexpected and he didn’t quite know what to do with the information. It was certainly flattering, and gratifying, to be spoken to in this way, by this person, while they did these things.

The moment soon passed and Dorian came back to himself again. “If you’d stop _talking_ , you just might be able to _have_ everything,” he said, with a tinge of frustration.

After a chuckle against Dorian’s skin, Judah raised his head to say, “Says my normally loquacious logophile lover,” with a sly smile.

Dorian blinked and then laughed. “All right, that was excellent.”

“Thank you. I thought you’d appreciate it.”

“Get back to what you were doing.”

“Mm-hmm.” Proceeding with his exploration, each nipple got Judah’s full attention. He caressed with his tongue, felt their peaks against the smoothness of his lips, and went lower. The fine hair that dusted Dorian’s chest was soft against his mouth and he enjoyed the sensation as he kissed.

Abandoning all attempt at thought, when Judah began to tease his nipples Dorian closed his eyes and allowed himself to be carried away. His mind cleared a bit when he reached his navel, licked it, and slipped his tongue inside; an amusing sensation that only increased when a kiss was accompanied by an unexpected suction. He laughed at the feeling and felt Judah smile.

Seeing the necessity, Judah moved off Dorian and lay beside him. He propped himself up at his side to complete the task of removing the other man’s smallclothes. Already loosened, he had only to part the fabric away from his arousal, trying to ignore the throbbing in his own groin as he did so. The clothing had to go. He hooked a thumb under the rim of the fabric and pulled down while Dorian raised his hips to help him. They were soon lost on the floor, having joined their other forgotten clothes. Returning to his previous action, he moved to lie between Dorian’s legs and kissed along the ridge of muscle that bordered the thigh.

The kiss was too light. Dorian had a spasm, made a short laugh, and involuntarily tried to raise his leg but was prevented in this by the weight of Judah’s arm. “Tickles,” was the response to his friend’s questioning look.

Judah smiled and filed the information away, and then resumed, but with a firmer touch for the area. He kissed his way down the muscle and moved lower to Dorian’s inner thigh, hearing the other man’s breathing quicken in anticipation. With a parting kiss for the thigh, he began, “I’ll be,” moved to kiss the pubic bone and added, “right,” and finally licked the tip of Dorian’s erection before finishing, “back,” and moving off the bed.

A surprised gasp followed by a whine was Dorian’s reaction on feeling the teasing tongue. “You are an evil man,” he said as he watched Judah divest himself of his undergarments and walk away, his own arousal evident.

“ _Can_ the Herald of Andraste be evil?”

“Apparently.” Dorian knew what Judah had gone to do, found this knowledge even more arousing, and finally lost his patience. “If you don’t come over here and fuck me, I’m going to _make_ you.”

“I thought you didn’t approve of blood magic.”

“Ha!” Dorian barked out a single laugh. “My dear friend, I don’t _need_ blood magic for that.”

“I’m almost tempted to disobey, just to see what you’d do.”

“On another night, I’d be happy to indulge you… and myself. But not tonight,” Dorian said, then held out his hand to beckon Judah near.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Just don’t forget to hold on to other things.”

The exciting knowledge had been that of anticipation, as Dorian knew why his lover had gone to the washstand. He had opened a jar there, taken some of its contents, and returned to him with slickened hand.

Done with flirty talk and innuendo, “Mmm,” was Judah’s only response. He settled between Dorian’s legs once more, gave himself a few strokes, then leaned over to resume their kiss. More eager than the previous one, mouths opened almost immediately as the kiss deepened.

Judah began to rock his hips against Dorian, a gentle thrust that had them rub together. They each made breathy sounds of pleasure; he knew they could come from this if he continued long enough. But that would be for another time; this night was for deeper sensation. He sat up and gave himself a final stroke before positioning himself carefully. As he eased himself inside, each man had an involuntary reaction.

Dorian’s eyes slipped closed, his head tilted back, his lips parted as he released a moan. He breathed deeply as Judah paused inside him, eventually opening his eyes again once the initial rush passed.

Judah’s eyes fell closed as well, but his head angled down toward Dorian as he made a moan of his own. He didn’t move, not just yet. He rubbed down the other man’s chest in a single long stroke, from collarbone to the tip of his erection, then caressed the inside of his thighs, before leaning over him again.

They kissed a slow passionate kiss of deep connection. Dorian wrapped his legs around the man above him and rubbed his back. He caressed down to his butt, then up again to the very top of his head to feel the soft fuzz of his hair as his fingers passed through it. Judah stroked down Dorian’s side and back up again, first with one hand and then the other, loving the feel of every inch of the man beneath him. After a time, he gave his first slow thrust inside him and the kiss was broken for just a moment as they each made a sound of pleasure.

Dorian had previously been curious to know what type of lover Judah would be, and especially so for this first time, whether he would be fast and hard, or slow and easy. He was not at all surprised to feel long, smooth strokes as he pulled out and then eased back in with every undulation of his hips.

Their kissing was intermittent, broken by deep, breathy sighs, some that turned into moans. Judah ceased his caressing of Dorian’s body, opting instead to fist his hands around the sheet. Dorian brought his hands down to Judah’s butt and hips, feeling the movement of every thrust against him.

For several blissful moments, all Judah could feel was the pleasure of the rhythm as he moved against Dorian, the warmth of the body beneath him, the internal and external heat that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. He heard only their sounds of pleasure, but was hardly aware of them. He saw no distracting sights as his eyes were shut against them. For that time, there was only darkness and base bodily sensation.

Their sounds intermingled, and it was difficult to tell which sound came from which man as they rose together in intensity and volume.

The increase in pleasure was so gradual and so constant that Dorian felt he never wanted it to end, and said so. “Mmm… Don’t stop.”

While Judah could tell that Dorian was enjoying it, he was unable to tell how close he was. Their relationship was still young and the sex was new. They were still learning each other’s bodies, what brought them to the brink, pushed them over the edge, the sounds they made during each level of pleasure and what they meant. Despite his lover’s request, he increased the pace in his own eagerness. Even though it was only slight, it was just enough to send them down the path toward release.

With that change, Dorian felt the build of that sweet ache and began to moan. His erection was between them and he felt the continual brush of his own skin, or Judah’s, as the other man moved against him. The pressure and friction, combined with Judah’s movement, only served to increase his pleasure even further. A distant part of his mind registered his lover’s soft grunts as they each got closer.

So close. Judah felt so close. He wanted to push harder and faster—the need was almost overwhelming—but he wanted Dorian to come first, so he kept that last bit of control over himself and maintained the same continuous pace. The pressure was building. He began to moan with each thrust and could not stop.

Unbidden, there came into Dorian’s mind a vision of how they must look. His own head tilted back, with mouth open, breathing deeply and releasing moan after moan as Judah moved against him. With his arms and legs wrapped around him, Judah’s head was tilted down toward his chest, making his own sounds of pleasure as the muscles in his butt clenched attractively.

The mental image was such an incredible turn-on that it caused Dorian to climax, and the entire world fell away as he was consumed in his release. All of his muscles contracted around Judah: his legs gripped tighter, his arms gripped harder, he curled toward him and froze as he came.

This was all Judah needed, the last bit to send him over the edge and he came with a long, deep groan.

The men sagged against each other. Judah relaxed completely against Dorian, who continued to lie there, arms and legs draped about his lover. As their breathing normalized, they lay in silence for a few minutes.

“We should do that more often,” Dorian said in a suggestive tone.

Judah laughed and raised his head to look at his friend. “You may have to fight me for the pleasure of being on the bottom.”

Dorian grinned. “I just might.” Thinking back to the beginning of the encounter, he asked, “How long had you wanted to do that?”

“A while. How long had you wanted me to?”

“A while.”

“We should talk more often, too.”

“Talking is overrated,” Dorian said, and began to stroke the back of Judah’s neck as the other man lay against him once more.

“Sometimes.” Judah sighed and relaxed to the feeling of Dorian’s warmth and rhythmic breathing, and the soothing petting. It was mesmerizing, and he felt as if his entire body was melting away. He gave a deep, satisfied moan that came out as, “Mmm,” against the crook of Dorian’s neck, kissed him there, and was still.

A while later, Dorian realized that their grip on each other had loosened and they were beginning to drift away. Judah’s weight was not oppressive and they were comfortable, but they had to do one more thing. Rousing himself, he said, “Come on,” and pulled Judah toward the washstand. He wet a cloth and ran it over the other man’s body, down his chest, and even lower.

Judah felt new arousal stirring and took a deep breath to push it down. When Dorian finished, he took a fresh cloth and ministered to him in return. He slid the cloth down his chest, around and behind, and then lower, pulling Dorian to him as he did so.

Dorian shuddered against him and stared into his face. This man… he couldn’t get enough of him, and it seemed that Judah felt the same about him. It was intoxicating. Although they were both spent, he knew that all they needed was time, and this simple caressing could easily turn into something more. He took a breath to steady himself as Judah finished, and then pulled away to lead him back to the bed. “Now we can sleep.”

 

 

End.


End file.
